Wing nut and process for the manufacture thereof



' Oct-21, 1941.- E SCHMIDT E1- AL I 2,259,834

WING NUT AND PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed sept. 14, 1940 /0IAS.

Patented Oct. 2l, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WING NUT AND PROCESSFon THE MANUFACTURE 'rnEnEoF Erwin L. Schmidt and Joseph L. Schwabe,Jr., Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to G-H Specialty Co., Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin 'Application September 14, 1940, Serial No.356,728

. 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wing nuts and processes forthe manufacture there- It is the primary object of the invention' to Iprovide a novel and improved sheet metal wing nut and means whereby sucha nut can be made in simple form and by a simple method to make theproduct more economical of manufacture than any previous device and atthe same time more serviceable and better adapted for use upon woodenfurniture or the like. 'It is one of the major purposes of theconstruction to provide a broad, flat, washer-like surface from whichthe wings yare formed integrally andy are oiset so ,that said surfacemay be engaged with a wooden object and tightened thereon withoutembedding the nut in the wood or destroying the-finish of .the wood.

While our improved wing nut has particular advantages for use inconnection with wooden articles, it is by no means limited to such use.One of the objects of the invention is to provide a wing nut which willnot only afford a better and more convenient grip to be more readilyheld and manipulated, but one to which a wrench or other tool may beeasily applied to exert more pressure than is available manually.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wing nut of such acharacter as to protect theoperator against injury in applying the nut.In the use of other wing nuts it is a common experience for the operatorto become scratched or -cut'orto suer 'injury from a splinter throughaccidental contact with the lbolt while manipulating the wing nut. Inaccordance with the present invention the wing surfaces manually engaged.in

the manipulation of 'the nut are continuous at characters throughout theseveral views.

Our improved wing nut comprises a -central hub vor washer section 5 ofdisk-like form, the central portion of which has been pressed upwardlyat t to constitute a sleeve. This sleeve 55 l. A method of manufactureof awingnut or (ci. i-s6) is internally threaded at 1 to receive thebolt -vwith which the Wing nut may be'dengaged.

Projecting from opposite sides of the disk portion 5 ofthe nut are theears 8, whichare slight-I 5 ly oset axiallyfrom the lower face 9 of thedisk so as not to abrade or cut into a wooden object with which thesurface 9 of disk 5 may be engaged. Integral, in turn, with the ears 8,are

the wings l0 which are preferably identical and 10 are parallel.

Each wing is in the form of an arch spanning the central washer disk 5and .the

threaded nut portion 6 and connecting the op- 1 The wings I0 may.

positely projecting ears 8. have the ornamentalconfiguration shown andin effectthe two wings l0 and the intervening ears 8 with which theWings are both integrally connected, constitute a channel which isoffset from the plane ofthe disk or Washer portion 5 of the' wing nutbut ls integrally connected therewith at its opposite sides. a

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the wing nutas.shown can be formed from a blank which is square or substantiallysquare. 'Iwo arcuate cuts along the lines ii of wings I0 separate .thewings` from the material which is to comprise the Washer portion 5 ofthe device. Thereupon the wings are .folded upwardly to the parallelposition in which they are illustrated, and at the same time the earportions 8 of the transverse channel are bodily offset away from theplane of the disk 5 for the purposes described. At any point in theprocess .the central portion of the disk 5 is punched upwardly andthreaded to provide the nut proper. f

Being made from a substantially square blank,

vtime the operations by which it is formed are extremely simple and theresulting product Vis ex- 40 tremely satisfactory, being light inweight, easily than has heretofore been possible in the 'case ofattempts to make wing nuts by stamping. In ad- .50 dition Ito theincreased safety and ease of manipulation, it will be noted that ourimproved wing nut may easily be manipulated through the use` of anylconventional wrench or bar if desired.

We claim:

' manipulating the nut thus constructed.

2. I'hose steps in the process of wing nut manufacture which includeshearing a blank along spaced circuitous lines whereby partially toseparate wing portions adjacent the opposite sides` of the blank from anintervening washer portion, folding said wing portions upwardly intosubstantial parallelism and at a spacing determined by intervening earportions integral both the like which` includes the shearing of a blank.v

wings interconnected at their ends by ears integral with said washerportion, said wings being substantially free of said washer portion savethe washer oppositely from said face, of a pair of wings extendingacross said washer' between marginal side portions thereof and at eitherside of said boss. said wings being integrally conwith said wingportions and said washer portions, whereby to constitute a transversechannel, and bodily offsetting said washer portion from said earportions and providing said washer portion with threads.

3. .Those steps inthe process of wing nut manufacture which include theshearing of a -blank upon mutually spaced arcuate lines whereby t0separate marginal portions of the blank from an intervening washerportion thereof, offsetting from said washer portion ear portions ofsaid blank integral with said washer portion and intervening betweensaid marginal portions, folding upwardly said marginal portions tocomprise arch-shaped wings integrally connecting the opposed earportions and integrally connected by said ear portions with said washerportion.` punching upwardly in a central partof said washer portion asleeve\integral therewith and threading said sleeve.

nected at their respective ends marginally with said washer and archingfree of said washer intermediate said ends.

- 8. A one piece wing nut comprising the com#- bination with a Washeroi' disk form provided centrally with a threaded portion and having abearing face, of ears `integral with said washer and projectingdiametrically therefrom, said ears being bodily offset away from saidbearing face, and wings integral with said washer and ears and formedinwardly from the margins of said washer intermediate said ears, wherebyto ex- 4. A wing nut comprising a washer having a I' threaded centralnut-portion, ears projecting diametrically from opposite sides of saidwasher, and a pair 'of arch-shaped wings spanning vsaid washer insubstantial parallelism with each othe andlconnected withsaid ears,.saidwings bein free of direct connection with said washer and the respectiveends of said wings being connected with the respective ears.

5. In a wing nut 'the combination with a washyer 4having a bearing faceand an inoperative face and a central threaded nut pqrtionandintegral/50 ears projecting `diametrically 'from saldwasher and Ioffsettherefrom above the inoperative face whereby to afford clearance for thebearing face of said washer, of a pair ,ofy wings spanning theinoperative face of said washer in substantial parallelism and eachconnected at its respective ends` with both said ears.

6. A one piece wing nut comprising a combined washer and nut portionprovided with threads, and a channeled wing portion integral with said'washer portion yand offset therefrom, said channeled wing portion havingarch-shaped tend from one ear to the other upon minor chords of saidwasher.

9. A method of manufacturing a wing nut or the like, which includesforming a blank with sufficient stock for a central washer-nut and wingsfor the manipulation thereof, making arcuate cutsin said blank betweenthe washer-nut central portion thereof and lateral portions thereof tocomprise said wings, said cuts being made wholly vwithin said blank,whereby to leave the wing portions of the blank connected at theirrespective ends to each other and to the washernut portion of the blank,providing the washers.'

nut portion ofthe blank with threads substantially at its center,and'forming thev wing portions of the blank upwardly into substantialparallelism spanning the washer-nut portion of the blank upon minorchords thereof at either side 'c of such threads and well within themargins of the blank.

10. A method of manufacture of a one piece wing nut or the like, whichincludes the forming of a washer-nut central blank portion having abearing face and an opposite face, and the provision yof threadscentrally therein -and opening to idbearing face, the folding of sideportions of the blank centrally toward each other over said oppositeface of the washer-nut portion and substantially symmetrically atopposite sides of said threadsto "comprise wings for the manipulationofthe washer-nut portion, leaving each of said wings yintegrallyconnected at its respective ends with the other wing and with thewasher-nut portion and forming such wings to be continuous across thewasher-nut portion on chords. of said gpposite face and wholly free oi'said bearing ace.

JOSEPH L. SCHWABE, Jn. ERWIN L. SCHMIDT.

